Eavesdropping
by fey-illusions
Summary: Eavesdroppers seldom like what they here... SpAqua. T for swearing.


This little bit of meaningless fluff is the result of me needing to cheer myself up after reading the Disquietude Arc. Thanks a bunch for the tears. Nah, it was good, I'm glad I read it. But it did leave me rather depressed so I started with a happy ending and worked my way up. That is all.

I own nothing except my fic based daydreams. Which is actually really sad if you think about it... Anyway, please read.

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The problem, Speedy mused, was that he couldn't lie as well as he used to. Roy Harper had always been a good liar. It was an incredibly useful talent. When Titans East were delivering a bluff, it was Speedy who pulled it off. He could lie his way out of almost any spot of trouble, something that had been useful during his brief stealing period. When he said he was fine, people believed him. Or, they used to.

"I'm _fine._"

"No, you're not." Or maybe it was just hard to lie to Aqualad, or Garth as he liked to be called now.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Garth's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That's what I've been trying to find out!"

"There is nothing wrong, just leave me alone already!" Garth watched Speedy storm off and sighed. He _knew_ something was wrong. How could he not? Roy had only avoided every member on the team in favour of destroying gym equipment. For three days straight. Of course, he was the only one who had noticed this. Garth wondered slowly back to his room, deep in thought. If it had been another member of the team, he probably wouldn't have wasted brain space on it. But it wasn't Bee, Mas or Menos. It was _Roy_, so he'd noticed and had been concerned immediately. He settled down beside his pool, swirling the water with his legs. Of course he had. He liked his team mates, his friends, but Roy...

Roy Harper, AKA Speedy, raised his bow and had an arrow on the line in less time than it took to blink. He barely gave time to aim, allowing his instincts to guide him. He released and then immediately flinched. To the untrained eye, his arrow was dead on. But Roy's eye wasn't untrained. The arrow was dead centre, but it had curved in the path over. Because arrows are top heavy, an archer needs to make allowances for a dip in long shots. But this was no long shot, it shouldn't have made a difference in this shot. He hadn't pulled it back far enough, there hadn't been enough power behind the shot. In a fight that could mean life or... well actually the miniscule dip probably wouldn't make a difference. The real problem was that it was a mistake, and Roy didn't make mistakes. Not in archery. _Ever_. (AN I don't know if this is actually true or not but I'd like to believe it) It was a sign of how disrupted he was. He stared at the arrow and then drew another four from his quiver, holding them in between his fingers. He released them, one after another, so fast that it almost seemed as if they had been fired all at once. He adequately hit the target on every one of his shots. Adequately, not perfectly. On each one there was a tiny flaw, something that would hardly matter in the real world, but mattered to Roy. He slid down against a wall, head in hands. Garth was right, he wasn't fine. But there was no way he would admit that to his face. He hadn't been fine since Monday. Crime rates were always low on Mondays, apparently even criminals got Mondayitis. He had been wandering over to the common room when he had heard Garth's voice drifting out into the corridor. Roy had stopped, wrestling with the butterflies he _still_ hadn't learnt to control.

"... would never work."

"Why not? She certainly seemed eager enough, and it's not like you've had much action... well, ever." Came Bee's voice.

"She _was_ enthusiastic." Garth admitted. Speedy felt jealously uncurl in his stomach, he suddenly wanted to break something. Really badly.

"I mean, I know fangirls rarely have a strong sense of dignity, but to think she out right asked you to do _that_."

"And to sign _there_." Screw justice, this fan girl needed to die. Immediately. _Painfully_. "But you forget, I'm Atlantean."

"Oh! As in you actually _can't_-"

"No! Just that well, I don't find you land creatures very attractive. No offence."

"None taken Waterboy, doesn't affect me. So to you we're ugly?"

"No, it's more that I'm just not interested." Roy backed down the corridor until he couldn't hear the voices anymore. Then he turned and fled, hands clenched and blinded by tears. True he had never expected Garth to return his feelings, but to find out that he had never had a hope, that he wasn't even _remotely_ attractive to him. There was too much emotion contained in his chest to face anyone, especially _him._ Roy slowly opened his eyes, they were dry. They had been since his private break down. His depression had disappeared pretty quickly, replaced by furious, burning rage. Speedy's nature had always run to fierce, unsubtle, loud, _hot_ emotions. Revenge came with anger and happiness burned brightly for all too see, there was rarely contentment or a need for solitude. He was here, he was now, so you had better all fucking _deal with it_.

"Dammit Roy! Talk to me!" Speedy completely ignored Garth's voice, preferring to concentrate on the sound of blood rushing in his ears while he destroyed more gym equipment. Garth watched as splits began to appear in the punching bag, and then winced as with one final kick it completely broke off and soared across the room. Roy feverishly searched for something else the he could abuse. Garth fervently hoped he wasn't an option; that was the third punching bag Roy had destroyed in under 15 minutes. Roy's eyes locked on him and narrowed. _Oh shit._ Garth was thrown to the ground and straddled with his arms held over his head. Garth could feel Roy's diaphragm expanding and contracting where their abdomens touched. Yeah it was hot, but it was also really scary.

"Has the Atlantien come to walk amongst we lower folk?" Roy asked with sweet poison. So, it was going to be verbal abuse then.

"You know that's not how I see you." Garth said quietly. Roy pursed his lips in mock thought.

"Funny but, if you'll excuse me for being so bold your Majesty," Garth gritted his teeth "I thought that was exactly how you saw us."

"Roy-"

"Not good enough to lick your boots, isn't that right?"

"Look-"

"Hardly worth breathing space us land creatures, maybe you should wipe a few of us out?"

"Seriously Roy-"

"It's not like it would matter, after all, we're all the same us lower folk. Aren't we, your Majesty?"

"Just stop it-"

"Hm? Isn't that right?"

"Roy, don't."

"A dime a dozen, you could say."

"Stop it."

"Actually, maybe you should get rid of all of us."

"_Stop it_."

"I mean, it's not like any of us could actually mean _anything_ to you." A solitary tear traced its way down Roy's cheek, but Garth was far too mad by this point to feel any sympathy. Water rushed from the nearby pool and slammed Roy against the wall.

"You fucking bastard." Garth rose to his feet and stalked over to Roy, who was still being pinned by the water.

"'Not mean anything'? How could you even-" Garth hissed, he was to angry to even yell.

"You _prick_." He spat. Roy just looked at him. Garth was actually shaking he was so furious.

"You had the audacity to-" He shook his head violently. He looked up at Roy and his mouth twisted bitterly. Reaching up he tore off Speedy's mask. Roy made no attempt to stop him. Roy's eyes looked lifeless, hopeless, and suddenly all of Garth's anger was gone. He slid down the wall and slowly allowed to water to lower Roy until they were slumped side-by-side.

"How could you even think that?" Garth asked, his voice betraying his hurt. Roy slowly straightened and turned to face him.

"I... I heard you talking."

"Talking?"

"With Bee?" Garth still looked confused. "About some fangirls _offer_?" Despite everything the thought still made Roy furious. Garth's eyes widened.

"Oh!" and then "Oh."

"Yeah." Garth shifted uncomfortably.

"I... well, I lied." Roy raised an eyebrow. "See, Bee keeps bringing up different peoples... uh, offers and I needed an excuse why I don't want to go with any of them."

"You couldn't think of a better excuse than that?"

"Um, no." Roy snorted.

"What a fail." Garth bristled.

"Well what about you then?" Roy looked at him quizzically. "How come you were so upset?"

"Oh, um... because... oh fuck, it's because... um... oh _fuck._" Roy bit his lip, sighed and then leant over and kissed Garth's cheek. Just once, fast, but sweet. Then he went back to slumping against the wall. He would have loved to be able to run away, but he'd spent three days destroying the gym, got thrown onto a wall and had just been faced with a serious dilemma before doing something incredibly stupid. He was beat. Garth, meanwhile, was in a state of shock.

"But you... the fangirls..."

"I have fanboys as well you know. I swing both ways."

"But you don't even like me!"

"No, I don't" Speedy agreed. garth blinked rapidly, his head was beginning to hurt. "I refused to believe it for a long time, but what I feel for you cannot be accurately described as 'like'." Speedy was not embarrassed to admit this, he figured life would be turned on its head anyway, may as well be straight. Well, maybe not _straight_, but truthful. (AN heh heh, I know it's lame but it had to said.)

"Oh."

"Oh." Speedy agreed with a heavy slice of cynicism. His jaded outlook was immediately banished, however, when Garth leant over and kissed him back. Several times. With tongue.

"Oh." Gath rolled his eyes.

"Yes, we've established that."

"Shuttup Fishboy."

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